Russia to Host WORLD MARITIME TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 2012

Saint Petersburg will be the host of WORLD MARITIME TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 2012

“There is no doubt that we need support from around the world,” said Vladimir L Alexandrov, President Science & Technology Society of Shipbuilders of the Russian Federation (NTOS named after A.N. Krylov) explaining why Russia looks forward to hosting the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC 2012) at Lenexpo in St Petersburg from 29 May – 1 June 2012. “We have been preparing for the past two years for WMTC 2012 and look forward to welcoming the marine, maritime and offshore communities to St Petersburg. We have very positive views about the support available from shipbuilders and marine engineers from all over the world.”

With its theme ‘Uniting Ideas for a Global Future’ WMTC 2012 is supported by 25 key maritime organizations from around the world including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, UK and USA. Endorsed by Igor Sechin, Vice-Premier of the Russian Federation and Chairman of both the United Shipbuilding Corporation and Rosneft, and six ministries of the Russian Federation, it is set to attract all sectors of the global shipbuilding; marine science, technology and engineering; offshore oil and gas; maritime defence; ports and harbours and marine renewable energy industries.

Hosted by NTOS and organised in partnership with Reed Exhibitions’ Energy and Marine Group, this is the fourth in the triennial WMTC series. Previous events have been held in San Francisco (2003), London (2006) and Mumbai (2009).

Russia eager to adopt technological advances

“During the last few years, the government of the Russian Federation has done a great job,” Vladimir Alexandrov, who chairs the WMTC 2012 Executive Committee, explained. “In June 2010 the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation outlined key questions relating to the challenges of modernising shipbuilding, coupled with detailed discussion relating to both the long and the short term. This resulted in estimated data and transportation requirements in Russia being determined – for the transportation of oil and gas in the Arctic corridors, north, south east and west; and for transportation by rivers and eternal seas. We are lagging behind in terms of commercial shipping and ship building and need to develop new approaches, new engines and new machinery, new sources of power and more advanced and safer systems; and to pay particular attention to processing carbon. We also understand the importance of cost efficiency and reasonable pricing for ships,” he explained.

“Much has been done in this direction. However, there is no doubt we have to attach great attention to machinery for shipbuilding, shipbuilding assets and building facilities. Russian shipbuilding is lagging behind technologically. Many of our current ships were built in what were until recently naval shipyards, so the workshops and corresponding equipment and organisation of production is oriented to naval vessels. Transforming these for building commercial vessels is a very serious issue needing significant restructuring, with the government making the necessary decision to build number of new shipbuilding complexes,” he adds. “There is great commitment from the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation and all relevant research institutes to this vital industry. All are eager to see, and are dedicated to help, the necessary technological development programme for the industry – machinery, radio, electronics, weaponry and improving the organisation of shipbuilding. We already buy equipment from machinery suppliers and shipyards in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, South Korea and Japan. WMTC will enable us to form relationships with a growing number of countries and organisations. We look forward to welcoming you to St Petersburg in Spring 2012. WMTC will also be an event that will further inspire our young people. They are our great asset. As well as marine technology universities we have made very positive changes within our technical institutes which look at design and implementation of course curricula and we are eager to encourage our young people to join the shipbuilding sector.”

Positive opportunities for exhibitors

“The Russian market, in particular the development of Arctic offshore sites, represents a major market opportunity for companies that supply to the offshore oil and gas industry, the ship supply and shipbuilding industries, or who want to sell into related government groups, in particular the Russian Federation,” explains Event Manager, James Coleman of Reed Exhibitions.

“WMTC is endorsed by six Russian Federation ministries – the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The very open and positive view of our hosts is proving invaluable when promoting the show to prospective exhibitors around the world. This is an exciting time to be involved in developments in Russia. One simple fact graphically highlights the opportunities – their Arctic continental shelf offers resources equivalent to 100 billion tonnes of hydrocarbons of which 80% is gas. Certainly a fact that focuses attention! Significant agreements, formulated in 2009, have started to bring forward their recovery with new partnerships being established between Russian and international shipping interests – naturally this is of great interest to our exhibitors. Investigate further and you discover that gas giant Gazprom has said that offshore field developments in Russia to 2020 will driver order for more than ten production platforms, over 50 tankers and other specialised ships, and at least 23 liquefied natural gas carriers. Companies such as Shell are forming powerful partnership with major shipping groups such as Sovcomflot to exploit LNG opportunities in Arctic waters developing joint shipping solutions for gas fields, new LNG shipping technologies, and floating storage and regasification units for remote locations. Russia is interested in forging relationships and partnerships at every level.”

James Coleman went on to explain: “This time last year the Russian Government approved new liberalising legislation to boost investment in their Arctic shelf, replacing a system of separate permissions for each operation with more flexible extended licensing arrangements – it is very definitely ‘open for business’. “To ensure that Russian shipyards become principal beneficiaries, massive investment is required in domestic capacity and technology – and once again, as Dr Alexandrov has explained, these Russian shipyards are looking towards international partners for technology advancements, and cites new shipbuilding complexes at Bolshoi Kamen, near Vladivostock, and in Kronshtadt near St Petersburg.”

Set against the background of this vibrant market Roman Trotsenko, the recently appointed president of the JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), said in a speech earlier this year that one of the main focuses of the USC is the modernisation of its design bureaus, because in the near future the corporation will primarily be building special-purpose and technically sophisticated vessels – ice class, shelf exploration, supply, research, and fishing ships.

As James Coleman explained, there is another interesting dimension for there are also opportunities within the internal water transport system in the Russian Federation. “Sergey Baryshnikov, Rector of Saint-Petersburg University of Water Communications has written a fascinating paper outlining the possibilities opening up on the internal water transport front. The Russian Federation has the biggest network of internal waterways in the world – there are some 130 ports operating. The unique deep-water system includes the largest rivers, their inflows and water pool connections.

Much work is needed on them and far ranging work is being carried out – or planned – to improve conditions and safety standards of the waterways themselves; the fleet using them; and the ports. There are even opportunities for international transport corridors such as from Europe to Asia (including the states of the Caspian region, Pakistan/India; and development of goods transportation through the Great European transport ring (Volga – Rhine – Main – Danube). Our WMTC 2012 exhibitors and visitors can certainly be sure that their input is needed on many challenging fronts!

Who will these exhibitors and visitors be? “The conference streams provide a strong indication of the areas from which exhibitors are coming – shipbuilding and shipping; naval engineering; operational oceanography; marine environment; offshore oil and gas; marine engineering systems; and underwater vehicles,” explained James Coleman. “Conference delegates and visitors will come from national and international oil and gas companies; suppliers of oilfield services, offshore contracting, surveying, and offshore product and storage; naval and commercial shipyards; marine engineering organisations and companies; fleet operators; offshore support companies; and commercial ports and harbours.”

Strong support from the Executive Committee

Chairman: Vladimir L. Alexandrov, President Science & Technology, Society of Shipbuilders of the Russian Federation (NTOS named after academician A.N. Krylov)

Vice-Chairman: Kirill V. Rozhdestvenskiy, Vice-Rector, Saint Petersburg State Marine Technical University, Vice President, NTOS

Valentin M. Pashin, Director General and Scientific Head, Federal Scientific Centre ‘Central Shipbuilding Research Institute’ named after acadamician A.N. Krylov. Academician RAS

Vladimir D. Gorbach, Director General, Center for Shipbuilding & Shiprepairing Technology

Nikolay M. Vikhrov, Director General, Kanonersky Shiprepairing Yard

Vladimir Yu. Dorofeev, Chief Engineer, 1st Deputy Director General, Design Bureau “MALAKHIT”

Igor V. Vilnit, Chief Engineer, Design Bureau “RUBIN”

Andrey B. Fomichev, Head, Shipbuilding Assets, United Industrial Corporation, Director General of Severnaya Verf & Baltiyskiy Shipyards

Georgy A. Poryadin, Chairman of the Board, Vyborgskiy Shipbuilding Yard

Sergey P. Alexeev, Chief, Hydrographic & Navigation Institute of the Navy

Alexandre V. Shlyakhtenko, Director General, ALMAZ Marine Design Bureau

Victor N. Ilyukhin, Deputy Chief, Institute of the Navy for Search & Rescue Operations

Anatoliy Sagalevich, Head, Department, Shirshov Institute of Oceanography, Head MIR Submersibles Expeditions

Vladimir G. Peshekhonov, Director General, Central Research Institute “ELECTROPRIBOR”

Konstantin Yu. Shilov, Director General, AVRORA Science & Production Amalgamation

Adam A. Rimashevskiy, Chief, Naval Academy, St Petersburg, Vice-Admiral

Vladimir I. Spiridopulo, Director General, Severnoye Design Bureau

Valeriy L. Mikheev, Rector, Makarov State Maritime Academy

Alexander S. Orischenko, Director General Central Research Institute “PROMETEY”

Alan Grant, Former Chairman of Maersk UK and now Non-Executive Director of Raffles Energy Pte Ltd

Jesper Kjaedegaard, Non-Executive Director of the Stobart Group Limited and President of the British Chamber of Shipping and Chairman of Maritime UK

Professor Ralph Rayner, Professorial Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Sector Director, Energy and Environment for the BMT Group

Evgeny S. Komrakov, Director General, KRONSTADT Ltd

Professor Konstantin P. BORISENKO Rector, Saint Petersburg State Marine Technical University

The conference programme will be published in January 2012.

[mappress]

Source: WMTC2012, September 13, 2011.